Sins of the Father
by KRiSTiNEDAHLiNG
Summary: It's the final showdown between Johnny and Anthony. When it's all said and done Lulu's the one who is there for him. JohnnyLulu.
1. Chapter 1

RATED T for Violence

DISCLAIMER: I do not own General Hospital, but if I did Johnny and Lulu would be together in a heartbeat and Jason and Sam would be reunited. Oh and Jerry would have more scenes.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first General Hospital fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it. I wrote it because Johnny and Lulu needed some love. Thanks for giving it a shot.

SUMMARY: It's the final showdown between Johnny and Anthony. Johnny and Lulu at the end.

He stood there with his gun trained on his father's chest. He had waited so long to be able to be free of his father's delusions. He had wanted to do this for so long. Then why was his hand shaking? Why was it so hard to force himself to pull the trigger? "Why did you make me have to do this?" He demanded in a voice that was a little louder than a whisper. If there had been even a single conversation going on in the room he was sure his father would have missed it. Alas they were alone, in the silence and the darkness.

"I could ask you the same." Anthony started. "All I wanted was for you to say with me, by my side. You're all I have left of her."

Johnny shook his head. "That lines an old one Dad. If you really wanted me to stay you wouldn't have made me your prisoner." Johnny gulped. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it in his ears. It wasn't as if he'd never killed someone before. It's just that person had never been his family. More importantly it'd never been his father. "The worst part is it's not like you love me or even at some point loved me. It's always been about her. Even worse it isn't like she left you, or she cheated on you, shit you shot her or rather tried to shoot me and hit her instead."

"Stop it Johnny. Don't say things like that." Anthony warned.

"What the truth?" Johnny demanded. "I'm tired of concealing the truth. I'm tired of all of this. I just want to be free of this, of your crime, of your watchful eye, of the handlers, and most importantly of the guilt I should have done this a long time ago." Johnny willed his shaky hands to go still.

"I'm sorry Johnny. I loved you too much."

Johnny stared at his father who for so long had been so strong, but now looked feeble. If he hadn't known what his father was capable of he would never have believed he had caused so much damage. His father was a monster. His father had made him into the irrational man he was. His father had threatened the life of the first girl he had ever felt he could trust enough to open up to. His father had alienated him from the outside world. But at the same time his father was his father. And in that moment he knew he wasn't going to be able to pull the trigger. He lowered his gun. "Why did you do this to me? Can't you see how crazy I am? I just I hate that I love you, because I know that I shouldn't."

"I've always wanted you to be happy Johnny. I've always wanted you to be happy." Anthony replied soothingly as he removed his son's gun from his hands. He backed away from Johnny. "I'll do anything to prove that to you." Anthony lifted the gun to his head. Peace washed over him. It was the first time in decades that his thoughts weren't clouded.

Johnny looked up and saw what his father was doing. "Dad, don't do this. We'll figure something out. Just put the gun down." Johnny pleaded.

"I'm sorry that I let you down Johnny. I'm sorry that I treated you like a possession instead of my child. I wasn't always like this. When you were born you were so small and precious and I loved you so much. I promised myself I was going to be a better father than my old man was. I was going to teach you to play catch, and help you learn to appreciate the little things. It didn't work out that way. I just…one morning I woke up and I realized that everything felt like it was crashing down around me. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone." Anthony paused to let what his words sink. He wanted his son to know the truth. He wanted Johnny to know who he was before he left him. "It only got worse. Then my sense of despair became paranoia. I became jealous of you. Of the way your mother paid so much attention to you. I was paranoid that you were going to take her away from me." Anthony's voice cracked. All of these years he'd kept it all inside bottled up. He'd let it consume him. "I tried to kill you Johnny. I tried to kill my little boy. And she protected you. Your mother, she loved you so much John, she always used to call you bambino, do you remember that?" He smiled sadly at the memory. "After your mother died I was so scared and I hated myself. I wake up every night in a cold sweat. I just…I didn't want you to leave me, but now I realize I was pushing you away." Anthony's voice trembled. "Lulu, how do you feel about Lulu? Do you love her?"

"I hardly know her, but I know she makes me happy." Johnny thought that if he could keep his father talking maybe they'd both be able to walk out of here alive.

Anthony nodded sagely. "Well go to her. Go find her Johnny."

"I'm not leaving you."

"This is the only way things can end. I've lost the game Johnny. I'm at peace. I'm ready to go."

Johnny felt tears welling up in his troubled eyes. He knew his father was right. He had to die. Still he'd finally understood his father. He'd finally uncovered the man his mother had loved. He stood up and made his way across the room to where his father was standing. He hugged his father for the first time in as many years as he could remember. "I love you Dad."

Anthony lightly kissed his son on the cheek and motioned for him to go. "Learn from my mistakes."

Johnny nodded and left the dark study. He wasn't even halfway down the hall when he heard the gunshot. He closed his eyes. He had never imagined it would hurt this bad to lose someone. He slid down onto the ground in the hallway and allowed himself to cry.

She heard him before she saw him. He sounded so helpless. She finally understood how hard it must have been for him. She had struggled to deal with the fact that her father had raped her mother, but what he had been dealing with was so much more painful. His father had killed his mother because of him and then in turn killed his Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. "Johnny…" She whispered so as not to startle him.

"My father's dead." He choked out. He felt so foolish for being so emotional. He should have been elated. He'd always wanted to be free. He'd always wanted to be his own person, to have his own identity. He once again reminded himself that his father had been a monster in every sense of the word. But it didn't make it hurt any worse. "I loved him Lulu. He was a horrible person but I loved him."

Lulu slowly sat down beside him and pulled him close. "Shhh…I know you did. And he did too." She reassured him as she traced small circles on his back. By his reaction she could tell that he had not been able to pull the trigger himself. She guessed that made the situation even harder for him.

"He apologized for everything. He was a sick man. He needed help and nobody ever gave it to him." Johnny explained. He wanted her to understand that while his father was not an innocent man that he was not the person most people thought him to be. "This is all Trevor Lansing's fault and I want him to pay for it, one way or another." He was surprised when he saw her nod at that final statement.

"And he will. I'll help you make sure of that." Lulu told him gravely.

"I'm not going to involve you in this Lulu. My plans aren't the kind you approve of." There was no way he was going to let her risk her life.

Lulu smiled despite the situation. "Haven't you realized that fighting with me is pointless? I do what I want even if everyone tells me not to. If I was a good listener I would have stayed away from you a long time ago."

Johnny didn't really know what love felt like. He'd never really gotten a chance to experience it. Sure he had loved his family, but he was certain that the love he felt for them was different than the love you felt for the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. He stared at her for a moment trying to read her. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He reached up and gently pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You drive me insane."

"I've been known to do that." And then she leaned in and softly kissed him on the lips. Something told her that she needed to do it. She couldn't wait any longer. What if something happened to either one of them? If there was one thing she was going to take away from tonight it was to not put off until tomorrow what could be done today.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a one shot or a multi-chapter deal. I decided to write it because I couldn't find a single Johnny and Lulu fanfic and that bothered me. Thank you for reading. I realize that I portrayed Anthony differently than most people probably would or will, but I felt like it was the right way to handle things because I remember Sonny's breakdown and how crazy he became. Review and let me know what you think I should do. – KRiSTiNEDAHLiNG


	2. Chapter 2

RATED T for Violence

DISCLAIMER: I do not own General Hospital, but if I did Johnny and Lulu would be together in a heartbeat and Jason and Sam would be reunited. Oh and Jerry would have more scenes. I do own Vanessa though which is pretty exciting cause I like her a lot.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The first chapter was really easy to get out and the second one was much harder. I really had to think about his one. I started it nearly fifteen times before I finished it. Thank you for the reviews. Thanks for coming back for me. Ya'll are fab.

She frowned slightly as she finished yet another one his letters. He'd been sending them daily since vanishing that night soon after the police had shown up. When the first one had shown up in her Kelly's apron she had been shocked to say the least, but now, five weeks later, she had grown accustomed to randomly finding them. In fact they were the best part of her day. The familiar sight of a cream envelope made her smile in a way you usually reserved for loved ones. They were vague on some details but enriched in others. Such as she knew just how beautiful the ocean was when the sky was a perfect shade of burnt orange, but she had no idea where exactly he was. The envelopes only said her name, and the lack of a postage stamp made her think that he was connected in ways she could hardly fathom. This letter had been different than the others though.

_Lulu,_

_Have you ever watched an American television program in another language? I don't suggest it. It's just not the same. Jack McCoy doesn't have the same spark, in say Portuguese. Its cold tonight, the kind of cold that makes your teeth clatter. If I wasn't so manly I'd take a bath to warm up. Alas, I'm far too much of a man for that. Next thing you know I would buy myself something ludicrous like a loofa. Instead I've decided to sit by a fire. I'm a real renaissance man that way. All I need is a pipe and an ascot. Anyway I'm starting to get cabin fever so I think it's about time I make my way back into the real world. This requires me to ask a favor of you. I need you to go to Ric Lansing and tell him I said baklava is best enjoyed by the ocean. He'll know what that means and how to get in touch with me. I'm sorry this letter is shorter than the others. I've started to run out of things to say except well thank you for this. I'm not sure I would have been able to last if it weren't for you reading and receiving these letters._

_All My Love and Trust, _

_Johnny_

"Whatcha reading?"

Lulu's head shot up and her eyes met Logan's. Somehow she had missed him coming into Kelly's. She smiled as if she was actually excited to see him. "Oh nothing just a nice little note a customer left me."

"Really?" Logan asked as he began to fiddle with a sugar packet.

"Yeah, some kind older lady who was looking for the Interstate I gave her directions." Lulu explained her lie in such detail you would have thought it to be the actual truth. "So what are you up to today?" She changed subjects before the lie went further. In the five weeks since the Ball she had become all too good at lying.

Logan shrugged. "Wasting time until Coop gets off work. I swear I can not wait until they find Zacchara so things can go back to effin' normal in this town." And so Zacchara could get punished for his misdoings.

Lulu was sure if Logan had been watching her more closely he would have seen her eyes bulge at the thought of him getting caught. Even if Johnny was thinking about handing himself over to the police, she was sure he still was not eager to actually be arrested. "Well I'm just going to finish up here and then I'm going to head over to the Q's to see visit with my Dad. Tracy still has him on a tight leash."

Logan accepted this and leaned in to give her a kiss. He flinched a little as she moved her head and the kiss meant for her lips landed on her cheek. "I'll see you later, maybe we can do takeout or something."

"Kay." Lulu let out a sigh of relief as he made his way out of the small diner. It wasn't that she didn't like Logan. In fact that only made this situation harder. Sure he had been an ass and had hurt in a way she had never imagined possible, but she didn't hate him and she didn't feel like he deserved this. She wanted Johnny in a way she had never wanted anyone before. Her desire for Dillon was not even in the same league as her desire for Johnny. She longed to be near him so strongly that when she thought about him it hurt and the thought of him returning to Port Charles soon and her being able to just see him made her happier than she could have ever imagined.

Ric let out a bored sigh as he filled out yet another boring document that made him feel less like a prosecutor and more like a tax attorney. He closed his eyes and imagined himself somewhere else. He groaned when he heard a knock on his office door figuring it was probably Scott. "Come in."

Lulu took a deep breath and then made her way into the room. "Hi I'm sorry to bother you. I hope you aren't busy or anything."

"No nothing overly important. What can I do for you Lulu?"

"Um I have a message to deliver to you from Johnny Zacchara." She paused to see if she should continue or not. He nodded for her to continue in a way that made her feel as if she could trust him. "Baklava is best enjoyed by the ocean."

"Is that all?"

Lulu nodded. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Ric smiled and nodded. He knew and understood the reference in a way that made him feel at least fifteen years younger. "Thanks for delivering the message. Have you been talking to him this whole time?"

"Yeah he's been sending me letters but I'm not sure where exactly he is. Today he told me to come to you." Lulu explained. Of all the people she had imagined telling about the letters Ric had not been one of them. In fact until today she couldn't remember saying more than two words to the older man. "Do you mind if I ask what you are going to do about the message?"

"I'm going to go to him. Help him figure out what he wants to do next." Ric knew that Johnny was in need of a lawyer and probably a friend. He assumed that Johnny thought Lulu less a friend and more a potential lover. "I'll keep you posted."

Lulu smiled appreciatively. "I want to come with you."

"I don't know if that is such a good idea Lulu. I'm not just heading to Rochester I'm going somewhere a little farther."

"That's fine, but I want to go with you." Lulu was not about to back down.

Ric sighed knowing that along with beauty and brains she also favored Carly's sense of stubbornness. "Okay meet me at the airfield at seven."

Lulu smiled satisfactorily and nodded. She stood up to leave.

"Oh and I'd let folks know that you were going to be out of commission for at least a week." Ric advised just before she left the office. He stared at the door for a good five minutes after she left. He couldn't believe he was about to hop on a plane to see Johnny Zacchara along with Lulu Spencer. He shook his head and then began to write his resignation letter. He was done being Scott Baldwin's bitch.

Okay so that update took forever and didn't exactly contain any Johnny and Lulu goodness but I promise there will be some next chapter. I needed to get this one out. I hope you liked it. It took a lot of thought to figure out what I wanted to say and do. Reviews make me smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Rated: T for Passion

Disclaimer: I don't own this show or couple but if I did…well it'd be a much different General Hospital. Jason would be like goodbye Elizabeth hello Brenda.

Author's Note: I hope this isn't too confusing. Oh and I should point out that Molly doesn't exist.

"Where exactly are we going?" Lulu asked apprehensively as she made her way into the helicopter. She hadn't actually told anyone she was leaving, but instead said she was needed some time to find herself and she would be back as soon as she was ready. Her father would definitely be the only one to accept this as a plausible reason for simply leaving.

Ric smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. "You'll see. It's much more fun if it's a surprise." He handed her a pair of headphones and then prepared for the long flight.

Two helicopters, a private jet, a Rolls Royce, and a speed boat later they finally reached their destination and Lulu still had no idea where exactly they were. She knew at some point they had left the United States and were somewhere in Europe but other than that she was lost. She slowly made her way off of the boat and onto the dock. She squinted in an attempt to make everything out despite how dark it was. Sometime during their travels it had returned to night. She looked at Ric and couldn't help but notice the wistful look in his eyes that made him look much younger than she had ever seen him. "Are we going to take a submarine from here or something?"

Ric laughed at the joke. If he hadn't known better he too would have been perturbed at how hard the journey was. "Nope, we're here. Trust me it's worth it." He assured her as he motioned for her to follow him. At the edge of the dock he was prompted to reply the family motto. "Baklava is best enjoyed by the ocean."

Lulu watched in amazement as the man standing at the edge of the dock allowed them to make their way behind the massive gates which hid what she could only describe as a small village. She looked at Ric in awe of her surroundings. "Are you shitting me?"

Ric shook his head no. He could vividly remember the first time he had ever seen this place. Back then it had been much smaller but still just as amazing. As soon as you saw it you understood instantly why it was such a pain in the ass to get here. "This is the Zacchara compound. Johnny's grandfather, Marco Zacchara built it during the late fifties as a safe place to send his family in case anything happened to him." Ric paused to let her soak all of that in. "This is one of the world's best kept secrets. Everyone knows about Sonny's holdings in Latin America but no one knows about this place."

"Wow." Lulu mustered as they made their way up the cobblestone walkway to what she assumed was the main house. "How have they kept it a secret for so long?"

"Knowing about this place takes becoming a member of a very exclusive club and becoming a member of that club is no easy task. In fact it's almost a burden." Ric could name quite a few people who would rather not know about this secret. In fact there were times in his life when he was younger that he too wished he wasn't in the know.

"_I just don't understand why we have to go right now." He begged his father to let him stay. There was no way he could leave before this weekend. "But everyone is going to be at this party. This is my first chance at making real friends other than Vanessa."_

He shook his head at the memory which seemed like a lifetime ago. He glanced at Lulu out of this corner of his eye and found that she was watching him rather intently. He couldn't help but silently wonder if she was ready to keep a secret like this one. He opened the door to the main house; no one knocked here and motioned for her to go ahead in.

Johnny blinked not once or twice but rather several times as he made his way down the staircase and found not only Ric standing there but also Lulu. He had thought about inviting her but had thought it too soon, but here she was standing there. He finished making his way down the stairs not sure exactly how to greet her. Sure she had kissed him that night, and the letters he had written her clearly made his interest clear, but still did that mean he should kiss. He mentally kicked himself for allowing her to make him this crazy. He decided to just go with a small wave. "Hey, how was the trip?"

Ric noticed just how much sexual tension there was in the room and decided that he should probably exit stage left. "Long and tiring as usual so I'm going to go ahead and hit the hay."

"Yeah okay well you know which room is yours." Johnny explained and then in a move that surprised even him he reached out and hugged the older man. He knew Ric was risking a lot by coming here. "Thank you for this."

"It's nothing Johnny. Remember we're practically family." Ric then said good night to Lulu and went upstairs.

Lulu stood there feeling rather awkward and questioning whether or not she should have come here. It also didn't help that Johnny wasn't wearing a shirt and his abs were hard not to take in. She'd always been a sucker for a six pack. "So uh this place is really amazing."

Johnny nodded as he motioned for her to follow him to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

As if on cue Lulu's stomach growled.

"I'll take that as a yes." Johnny then set to heating things up for her.

Lulu sat there watching him wondering how long the silence could last. She was a big fan of comfortable silence but this was anything but comfortable. "I'm sorry to intrude on you."

"Are you kidding me?" Johnny couldn't even believe she was apologizing for coming. He had wanted so badly to see her since that night. There were a millions questions he wanted to as her. A million things he wanted to do to her. She was the last thing he thought about every night and the first thing every morning. "You did not intrude Lulu. In fact I was going to urge you to come with Ric but I thought it might freak you out."

Lulu's mind and body instantly relaxed at the realization that he was just as nervous as she was. "I think it would be best if we just put all our cards out on the table."

"Such as…"

"I've thought about you everyday since you left. When I find one of your letters my heart swells with happiness and when I finish reading it I reread it at least a dozen times." Lulu was no longer sitting by was instead walking towards him as she said all of these things. She needed to close the gap between them.

"You are the first and only girl I've ever written letters to. I hated myself for leaving you that night when the police showed up. I wanted to make you come with me. I've wanted to do this for so long." And then he kissed her. This kiss unlike the first was hard and passionate. It was the kind of kiss that could only be described as desperate. His fingers tangled in her hair as he felt her press him up against the island. The cold of marble intensified the goose bumps that her touch had already caused.

When it seemed as if they would pass out from lack of oxygen they pulled away. Their lips were swollen. Their breath ragged. The sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. "I've fallen for you fast and furious." Lulu admitted quietly once she had regained the ability to speak.

Johnny grinned and then started to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to write Jason a letter. I told him you like me."

So that was the update. I hope you liked it. I am shocked that I got it out so quickly. Please let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Tell me not to. Tell me that you love me too much to let me go. Tell me that you need me, that you need my love. Hell just tell me no." She pleaded with him as tears ran down her face. She seemed so tiny standing there in front of him, her lower lip trembling as her usually tame hair whipped around in the wind. Her mascara smeared as if she were Courtney Love. "Just tell me no and I won't do it."_

_He let out a shaky breath he hadn't realize he'd been holding. He fought the urge to reach out and tame her wild locks. He hated himself for what he was going to have to say. "You know I can't do that. I can't tell you no. I can't let you do that. Your family needs you."_

"_But I need you." _

"_You'll move on. Michael is a good man. He'll treat you the way you deserve to be treated. He'll give you a good life and most importantly your family will be safe, Johnny will be safe." Ric wanted so desperately to be selfish. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss away the tears. He loved her with everything he had but he knew they couldn't be together. He refused to be Romeo and Juliet. _

_She stood there for a moment just letting his words sink in. She let out a deep breath. She knew what he was saying was right. She nodded and then leaned in to him. "Can I just have one last kiss to last me the rest of my life?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and hoarse from all the tears._

_He smiled sadly and then bent down to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. He silently watched as she made her way inside to call her father. He sighed as he felt his heart break. _

The memory had been playing over and over again in Ric's mind since the moment he walked into his old bedroom the night before. Now sitting on the back porch, the exact spot where the memory had taken place, he felt his heart break again. In the hours, days, weeks, months, and even years after that memory took place he still found it painful to think of her, of this place, of the Zacchara family. Once she married Michael, he found it too hard to be around the only family he'd ever known. Over the course of the last ten years he'd had his share of his highs and lows but nothing that really made him feel the way he had felt before saying goodbye to her.

"What're you thinking about?" Johnny asked quietly as he sat down in the empty seat next to Ric. He'd forgotten just how much of a morning person Ric had always been.

Ric smiled sadly. "Not thinking as much as remembering."

"I guessed as much. There's something unsettling about all the memories buried in the walls of this old place."

"Is Lulu still asleep?"

Johnny nodded and grinned. "Yeah she's pretty tuckered out from the long trip. Thank you for bringing her."

"It was nice not to have to do the trip by myself. Makes flying a little less boring. How long have you two been…?"

"Uh not long I guess. I'm not sure. You know how it is. Plus she's got an asshole waiting for her back in Port Charles." Johnny frowned at the thought of Logan. How someone could hurt her so badly and then still feel as though he deserved her blew his mind.

"It seems to me that if she really cared about him, she wouldn't be upstairs right now." Ric pointed out. "But then again what do I know?"

Johnny looked over at Ric and saw for the first time just how tired he looked. His eyes which when he had been younger were the same shade of blue as the Mediterranean now seemed dim. His stubble, which had always made him seem older, now made him appear disheveled. It was almost as if he was a shadow of his former self. He had been so young when everything had happened. He hadn't really understood the gravity of the situation. In all actuality all he knew was that one day his sister was dating Ric and the next she was marrying Michael Barony. It wasn't until now upon looking back that he realized just how dramatic and difficult the situation had been. Life had been tense in a way he had never experienced before. Bullets, curse words, and death threats were flying. Security had been at least doubled. At the time he'd only been twelve years old, all of it was lost on him. "It never occurred to me how much things changed that year. I mean things happened but it was like I had all these pieces to the puzzle and it took me ten years to put them together."

"You were twelve Johnny. You were kept in the dark on purpose. Children aren't supposed to worry about half the shit you would have had to worry about. Between my father's stupidly starting shit with the Marquez', you father's mental stability or rather instability, and then your sister and I trying to keep you safe everything was just so wrong. You think you're screwed up now Johnny? Imagine what you would have been like if we hadn't kept you in the dark that year?"

center /center 

Lulu woke up to the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. At first she thought she must have fallen asleep to one of those relaxation cds, but upon further inspection of her surroundings she remembered where exactly she was. She couldn't help but smile as last night flooded back to her. If their first kiss had made her melt this one had woken up a passion in her she thought had disappeared. The desire was so strong that last night it had taken a lot of self control to pull herself away from him. There was just something about Johnny. She knew he was bad for her. She really did. She knew that by being with him she was putting herself at risk. A life with him would be a life full of secrets, but that didn't sway her from wanting to be with him. She slowly got out of bed and walked to the window. She smiled when she saw him sitting on the back porch with Ric. Of all the things the two of them had talked about the night before, how exactly he knew Ric had not been one of those things. She watched them for a minute longer before turning and getting in the shower.

center /center 

Logan walked into Kelly's expecting to find her looking bored behind the counter. He frowned though when he instead found Georgie's head buried in a text book. He checked his watch to make sure that it was indeed time for her shift. "Where's Lulu?"

Georgie's head shot up. She frowned at the sight of him. She was less than a fan of Logan Hayes. "I don't know. She just told Mike that she was going to be taking time off and that he should probably find someone else to take over for her. Don't you live together?"

"Yeah and she didn't come home last night and no one has seen her all day." At first Logan had been worried but at this point he was just flat out pissed. Whatever this game was she was playing it was wearing on his nerves.

Georgie had heard through the grapevines that Lulu had disappeared last night with Ric. Coop had been telling Maxie about how Ric had quit soon after Lulu came in. While she may have known all of this she didn't feel like sharing it with Logan. Let him find this stuff out on his own. "Well I don't know what to tell you other than I'm covering her shifts until Mike finds someone new."

Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and then let Kelly's just as suddenly as he had shown up. He figured Luke was his next best shot. If only he knew that there was a note sitting on his kitchen table waiting for him.

center /center 

He stood outside her door wondering whether or not he should knock and risk waking her up. He sighed and knocked, figuring she wouldn't want to sleep away the day. When she didn't answer he decided to just go ahead in. The first thing he saw upon entering the room was not her sleeping in bed but rather towel drying her hair in nothing but a towel. He blushed like a schoolboy dealing with his first crush. He started to just back out of the room but that was the exact moment she decided to look up. She screamed. He cringed. "I'm sorry. I was just…I thought…I didn't know you were awake and well in a towel."

Lulu self consciously held the cream towel tighter to her body. "It's uh okay."

"Well yeah I was just coming to see if you were awake because I thought we'd go sailing today but yeah I'll leave now. See you downstairs."

She watched him leave and let out a flustered sigh which soon turned into laughter. His face was priceless. She knew that ten years from now this would be a moment she'd use to tease him with. She got up off of the bed and tried to figure out what exactly you wear when you sail.

I realize that there was very little Johnny and Lulu in there but that was for a reason. I needed to progress the story. So you probably have some questions brewing and I'm excited about that prospect. I'm sorry it took me forever to update. It's all Sarah Dessen's fault. I had to read Just Listen before I could focus on anything else. Thanks for reading. Please review. I'll update as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

Sins of the Father Chapter Five

Rated PG at the most

Author's notes: Thanks for coming back for me. I hope you like it. I'm hoping it answers some of the questions ya'll have had. This one is nothing but Johnny and Lulu so I hope it feeds your craving.

"So when you said sailing I was thinking more along the lines of a catamaran or a dinghy or something not so much a…yacht." Lulu joked as she allowed him to help her aboard the largest boat she'd ever seen.

Johnny smirked. "Yeah but yachting sounds so over the top. It's almost like saying why yes of course I starch my underwear and search the housekeeper every night before she takes the bus back to her house in Harlem."

"A girl could get used to this." Lulu replied as she stretched out on of the benches. She was pretty sure the fabric used for this bench was more luxurious than her sheets and that was sad.

"And a guy could get use to this view. Did I tell you that I thought you looked beautiful? Blue does wonders for your eyes." He whispered seductively as he bent down to place a soft kiss upon her lips. She was wearing a navy blue turtleneck that may have covered her up but on the flip side accentuated all of her curves.

Lulu grinned wickedly. "Almost as much as the one you took her earlier, huh?" She smiled as he blushed again. "It's cute that you blush."

Johnny pulled back and looked at her in shock almost as if she had just said I'm pregnant with Dewey Cox's baby. "I don't blush." 

Lulu scoffed. "You so blush, you're blushing right now." 

"It's the cold. You should get your eyes checked." Johnny advised solemnly.

Lulu couldn't help but giggle at his denial. "Well then maybe we'll have to check out the cabin once we get this show on the road. Or you could catch pneumonia or something."

Johnny untangled their limbs and pulled himself off of her. "I'll be back. Let me just tell Leo to pull away from the dock and take us out to sea."

She couldn't help but notice that the jeans he was wearing did wonders for his butt. What had gotten into her? She didn't think like this. She hardly even did PDA. Now here she was fantasizing about pinching his butt. If he could read her mind she knew she'd be blushing right now. She let out a deep breath and reveled in just how fresh the air was. For the first time in weeks, probably even months, she could think clearly. Her thoughts weren't jumbled and clouded. She could hear herself think. And it felt so good. She had a feeling this was why her father was always taking off. She sat up as she watched him make his way back towards her. "So where's Ric?" She asked once Johnny sat back down beside her and placed his arm around her shoulder.

"Doing some work back at the house. You know planning my surrender."

"I know this may sound weird but why Ric? I mean of all the people in the world to help you with this why exactly did you choose Ric Lansing?" Lulu finally asked the question that had been plaguing her since Johnny had asked her to relay the message. God so much had happened since then. She guessed this is what they meant by whirlwind romance.

Johnny sighed and smiled. "Good thing we have plenty of time cause this story is definitely a long one." Johnny took a deep breath and then began. "Trevor Lansing started working for my father before I was before. I think they worked together for something like twenty five years. Anyway Trevor came to work for my father after Ric and Sonny's mother Adelle left Trevor. At first Trevor had a life outside of the family but he became more and more involved until finally he just moved in along with Ric. Now Ric is the same age as my older sister –"

"Wait what you have an older sister?" Lulu interjected. "Of all the things we've talked about somehow you've never mentioned this detail."

Johnny grimaced. "Yeah well about that, it's just Vanessa is well she's just another complicated chapter of my life. You see Vanessa's ten years older than me. Her mother was my father's mistress, who just happened to not want to have a child. My father, who wasn't sick at the time, struck up a deal with the woman and convinced her to have the child. When my mother met and married my father Vanessa was I think three. My mother raised Vanessa as if she was her own daughter. When my father killed my mother Vanessa was eighteen and away at college, she was also madly in love with Ric. She knew my father was sick and pestered Trevor to do something about it. Hell she more or less threatened him. But back to my original story first."

"Before you continue I just have to say and I thought my family was crazy." Lulu threw in.

Johnny couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that one. "If you only knew, anyway so Ric and Vanessa are the same age and they basically grow up together. Their lives revolved around each other and protecting me. I was twelve when shit really hit the fan if you know what I mean. That year my father was just getting worse and worse so Trevor was making more of the decisions. He made a wrong one that put our family in a lot of jeopardy. Suffice to say Ric, Vanessa, and I basically moved to the island. I can still remember the urgency in Trevor's voice when he told Ric they had to come and get me as quickly as possible. It turns out that Trevor had accidentally killed off a member of the Marquez family and they were very upset. To save us, the family, and his own ass he ended up striking a deal with the Barony family. If the Barony's were willing to help keep the Marquez' it bay, Vanessa would marry Michael Barony."

"But wasn't Vanessa with Ric?" Lulu asked in disbelief.

"Yep they were madly in love and headed to the altar. Michael had been in love with her for years. I mean years. Michael was a good guy and Ric knew that. He also knew that without the Barony's our family was in definite peril so he told her that she had to marry Michael. It killed them both. Vanessa married Michael three months later. Ric left a couple of weeks after that. Life was never the same. Anyway to answer your question Ric always was there for me and I knew I could trust him. We're family."

"Oh Johnny, I just, wow. So is your sister still with Michael? Is that the reason the Ric I've always known is so bitter?" Lulu had a million questions running through her mind. This was like Tristan and Isolde except with a mafia twist.

"Actually about five years ago Michael was killed. Everyone thought Ric was going to come rushing back to be with her, but he didn't. I don't know why because I don't have what it takes to ask him. I don't know if Ric is bitter as much heartbroken. I can say he's definitely not the guy I grew up with." Johnny felt so strange telling someone about this part of his life. In fact he'd never shared this story with anyone. Sure he'd dated girls before and many of them were from the same families he'd grown up with, but still he'd never shared this part of his life. And those girls usually knew about his sister and Ric. It was the kind of story everyone Boston crime family whispered about. Many people saw Ric as a tragic hero for giving up his happiness for the sake of the family. If he wanted a job in Boston, he could have had it in minutes, but he'd stayed away until now that is.

"We have to get them back together."

"What?"

"We've got to reunite Ric and Vanessa. They gave up their happiness for you right?" She paused to let him agree. "Well we have to repay them. If it weren't for their sacrifice I would have never known you."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Yeah I do Johnny. Life is a series of events and when one event changes everything changes. If she hadn't married Michael I'd have never known you."

"You're serious about this aren't you?"

"Serious as a heart attack. How long is it going to take you to get a hold of Vanessa?"

"About a day at the most. I'll have to slip a letter out to her. She's got plenty of security around her in Boston so it shouldn't be too hard." Johnny smirked at the way her face lit up. "Have I mentioned you look cute when you scheme? Your face lights up and well it's worthy of a Kodak moment."

Lulu playfully slapped him in the chest. "So what're you waiting for let's turn this baby around. We've got a couple to reunite."

Johnny couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle quietly to himself as he went to tell Leo to take them back. Lulu Spencer was some kind of girl. She was definitely a piece of work and he liked that.

So that was the update. Thank you for reading. I'm pretty happy I could devote this entire thing to Johnny and Lulu. I hope it answered some of your questions about Ric and Vanessa and everything. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Please let me know what you think. I love feedback it makes my day.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital, but oh how different it would be if I did.

Warning: There is not a lot of Johnny and Lulu in this…meaning like zip. I'm sorry about that. Still give it a chance. I think you'll find Vanessa and Ric to be just as interesting of a couple.

Vanessa was in the middle of chopping celery, onions, and carrots for Thanksgiving dressing when her guard Bruno walks in the kitchen. She instantly recognizes the familiar cream envelope he was holding. She grins, wipes her hands on her apron, and then takes it from him. "Thanks Bruno. Will you check and make sure that Mikey and Ari are still doing their homework?"

"Sure thing V. Do you want me to come back and help you with the dressing afterwards?"

"Nah I've got it. You sit down and watch some television or something. Take a break. You do too much Bru." Vanessa didn't know what she would do if it weren't for Bruno. He picked up the kids from school. He played catch with Mikey. Hell sometimes he even helped them double check their homework. Suffice to say he did much more for her and her children than any other guard on the Barony payroll would. Then again it helps that Bruno had been Michael's best friend. Before Michael died he'd been a cleaner who was moving up in the ranks. After Michael died he'd traded in his sniper rifle for a black Volvo sedan and hand sanitizer.

Bruno smiles and nods before replying, "Okay but let me know if you change your mind." He hates when she's stubborn and won't let him help.

Once he's gone she opens the envelope as quickly as possible and smiles when she recognizes his attempt at neat scrawl.

_Vanessa, I miss you tremendously and have so much that I haven't been able to tell you. Step one to rectifying this problem is baklava is best enjoyed by the ocean. You know what do. Hope all is well with Mikey and Ari. Lots of love, Johnny_

As soon as she's done reading she sighs and knows what she needs to do. She needs to go to him. She walks into the den and finds Bruno sitting on the couch watching Pardon the Interruption. "I need your help packing the kids bags. We're going on a little trip."

Bruno looks at her quizzically, but follows her upstairs all the same. "Does this have to do with the letter?" He takes her lack of a response to mean yes. "Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you that. Even if I wanted to tell you I really couldn't. All I can tell you is that the children and I will be somewhere safe and we'll be back as soon as we can." Vanessa explains as she quickly packs Ari's things.

"What trouble has Johnny gotten himself into this time?" Bruno knows all too well Johnny's tendency to get himself into trouble. He also knows that Vanessa always rushes to rescue when she gets word.

Vanessa sighs. She wishes Bruno didn't know her so well. "I'm not sure, but he needs me so I'm going to be there for him. Plus the kids deserve a break for a while. They haven't had one in ages and they'll be out for Thanksgiving after tomorrow so it all works out so perfectly."

Bruno's brows crinkle. "I don't know if this is such a good idea V. I mean with everything going on with the families. How can you be certain that Mikey will be safe?"

"I can't be certain but then again I can't truly be certain that he's here either." She zips up the bag and looks at him. She runs a shaky hand through her light brown hair and exhales noisily. It's time like these that she truly feels her age. "I know your worried Bruno. I don't blame you, but we both know that you can't talk me out of this. My minds made up. And truthfully I need to get out of Boston. I love the Barony's but we both know that they aren't my family. I need to see my family. I want the kids to see their Uncle. It's not fair that they only get to see him every blue moon. So I'm going. We'll be leaving in a few hours. You'll make sure Cecile gets the dressing won't you?"

Bruno hesitates before agreeing to finish the dressing for her. "It's time like these that make me wish you were a little more run of the mill and a little less pigheaded."

"I prefer the term brilliantly willful."

Ric was sitting on the back porch nursing a scotch on the rocks with his eyes closed deep in thought when he hears the familiar sound of a speedboat pulling up to the dock. He squints in an attempt to see into the darkness, but finds it to be nearly impossible to make anything out. He closes his eyes again and zones out figuring that it's nothing more than someone delivering groceries.

"Could you carry her for me? She's tuckered out from the long trip and I just don't have the heart to wake her." Vanessa instructs one of the men standing at the gate once she's off the speedboat. Ari had lasted just long enough to get onto the speedboat on her own, but had been lulled to sleep during the ride.

Joey nods and takes the young girl from her. He can't remember the last the house was this full. He's worked for the family for over twenty years. He can still remember the first time Maria brought Johnny here. "Sure thing Ms. Z. How was your trip?"

"Come on Mikey, grab my hand." Vanessa wishes she was strong enough to carry him, but at nearly nine years old he was just too big at this point. Hell at seven Ari was already too big for her and she was at least twenty pounds thinner. "It was good. Shorter than it used to be, but still long enough to leave you feeling a little out of sync."

"Well Johnny will be very pleased to see you as will Mr. Lansing."

She scoffs in response. "Trevor has never in his entire life been pleased to see me. We both know I was a royal pain in his ass."

Joey frowns. "Well yes that's true, but I was actually talking about Ric Lansing not Trevor. In fact well I'll let your brother tell you about Trevor."

"Ric's here?" She's too stunned to move.

"Come on Mom I'm tired." Mikey replies as he yawns and tugs on her arm.

She mumbles an apology to her son and starts walking again, but can't believe that she's about to be face to face with Ric again. It's been at least ten years since the last time she'd seen him. It had been her wedding reception.

"_You make a beautiful bride." He tells her as he tries to hide the fact that the smile plastered to his face is a sad one. He wants to be genuinely happy for her. He wants to mean it when he wishes her and Michael all the luck in the world. He wants to feel like he's making the right decision by pushing her into the arms of another man. _

_She looks down at the gown she's wearing. She'd always dreamed of getting married in Maria's but when the time came she just couldn't allow herself to wear a dress that beautiful in a wedding she was so emotionally against. Instead she'd bought a beautiful Vera Wang gown that everyone said made her look like an angel. "Thank you. You don't look too shabby yourself." She's mystified as to how exactly they both can believe they are really okay. _

"_Where are you going for your honeymoon?" He asks wondering if they are going to go to any of the places they had named when they used to plan their future together. _

"_Uh we're doing a cruise actually so the Caribbean I guess." She gives him a look that says I wouldn't dream of going to any of those places with anyone but you. Suddenly an arm is snaking around her waist and she knows it's him. She smiles up at him. She feels guilty because she can feel the happiness radiating from him. His eyes shine like a man who just found out the secret to happiness. "Hey." _

"_Congratulations Michael." Ric musters lamely. He can't believe that after practicing something meaningful that's all he can come up with in the moment. Then again what he really wanted to say is how does it feel to know the only way you could get a woman to be with you is to dangle protecting her family over her head. _

"_Thanks Ric. Did you get anything to eat?" _

"_Uh no, but that's okay because I just wanted to congratulate the two of you and tell Johnny goodbye. I actually need to be going. I've got to study for the bar." _

"_When is it?" She can't believe she's been so wrapped up in herself that she forgot about the bar. Before all of this happened she'd spent days helping him make flash cards. _

"_Tuesday at 9:00 in the morning so it's crunch time." _

"_Well good luck man. We won't hold you up anymore. I think I saw Johnny sharing a piece of cake with Luisa in the corner by the band." _

_Ric looks over to where Michael had pointed and sees that Michael was in fact right. Johnny is sitting at the table with Luisa flirting up a storm. He'd just suddenly started gaining interest in the opposite sex. Vanessa found it to horrifying. "Well have fun on your honeymoon you two and I'll probably see you again in the near future. It won't be long until the next wedding. It seems as though everyone is getting married these days." He's caught off guard when she softly kisses him on the cheek. He knows it's normal for brides to do this. It's just a form of thanking him for coming and bringing a gift, but that message clearly doesn't reach his heart. It speeds up as though he'd just ingested a caffeine pill. He smiles squeezes her hand and then makes his leave. _

_Johnny is serving up one of the lines Ric taught him when Ric suddenly is kneeling beside him. He leans over and allows the older man to whisper congratulations on Luisa and tell him that he was going away for a while. He's so consumed with his interest in Luisa that he doesn't notice the defeated look in Ric's eye or the way his voice broke when he said he was going away for awhile. Instead he just nodded and told Ric goodbye. _

She self consciously runs a hand through her hair wondering how she looks. She's wearing a comfortable but not very flattering Adidas tracksuit. She can't help but wonder how he must look. Ten years is a long time. She's attempting to picture what he must look like when she walks into the house. She's surprised to find Johnny waiting for her in the foyer with a very attractive petite blonde. Before she can say anything Mikey suddenly seems to wake up and rush towards his Uncle.

Mikey picks up the young boy as if it's nothing and kisses him softly on the forehead. "Mikey, how've you been? You been treating your mother the way she deserves?"

"Yeah I've been trying to be a grown up just like you told me. Can we go fishing tomorrow?"

"We'll see. You go ahead and go to bed though. We'll have plenty of time to spend together in the morning when you wake up." Johnny assures his nephew who is the spitting image of himself when he was that age.

Mikey nods and makes his way upstairs. It seems he has remembered just how tired he was when they first arrived.

Johnny kisses his niece on the forehead and wishes her a goodnight before motioning for Joey to take her upstairs and put her in bed. Once it's just the three of them he finally hugs his sister. "I see you got my message."

"That I did, but it was missing one pretty important detail."

He nods and smiles before motioning for Lulu to come stand beside him. "Yeah well it was part of the surprise. Vanessa I'd like you to meet Lulu, Lulu Spencer. She's a very good friend of mine from Port Charles. She's going to be staying with us for a little while. Still all of that can be cleared up in the morning."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lulu." Vanessa doesn't believe for one minute that Lulu is just a friend. You don't bring friends here. "Still I was referring more to the fact that-" She stops midsentence when he walks into the room. He looks just as handsome as he did when they were kids. In fact only his eyes gave away just how much older he really was. She envied his ability to stay young.

"That what?" Johnny asks confused as to why she would stop midsentence. His question is answered though when he hears Ric's voice.

"Vanessa?" His voice is barely above a whisper. And then as if out of a movie he faints.

Thanks so much for reading. I really hope you liked this update even though was no Johnny and Lulu in it except for a blip near the end. I'm sorry about that. I know that you all probably wanted more than that but I needed to further the story. Plus I have a lot of fun writing Vanessa and Ric scenes. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've started this a million times, but it just wouldn't work. Please feel free to ask questions and make requests. The next chapter should have much more Johnny and Lulu interaction. I'll update as soon as possible. – KRiSTiNE


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